Queen of the Night sees the light of day

Queen of the Night finally arrives at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N Lincoln Avenue, after a 735-day drought of no new productions from the venue because of the pandemic. The timing of the show has worked out in its favor with February being Black History Month and a worthy first project for artistic director Ken-Matt Martin.

The script could have been very heavy, but the jokes and delivery keep things light while tackling tough topics in a Texas state park.

This wilderness adventure begins with the main character Ty, played by Terry Guest breaking that fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience. He sets the scene for an outdoor experience that is brought indoors for theater patrons to be immersed in. Ty is on a camping trip with his father Stephen, played by Andre Teamer, who is determined to show his love for his son over a few days in the woods. This generational tale is kept simple with dialogue between the father and son who make attempts to bond with each other over the course of 85 minutes with no intermission.

From the jump, this story hits home for gay folks who were forced to go camping with our parents as young people against their will. Stephen like many fathers just wants to have one on one time with his son without cell phones, computers or other distractions. His plans are well-intentioned but met with many challenges along the way.

Ty represents a new generation that Stephen wants desperately to understand. He loves his son but is constantly met with youthful resistance and Ty's mental health issues. What could have been an extremely heavy endeavor is instead a fresh take on an age-old battle between family members when a young person comes out as queer.

The two characters can't quite connect to each other most of the time, but the audience will surely connect with the material. The playwright travis tate doesn't know how to end the story and struggles with conveying some of the ideas, but the actors have a casual style to their craft that overcomes some of the pitfalls among the trees.

This production could be even more engaging by being remounted outside in the summer somewhere in Illinois instead of the upstairs Richard Christiansen Theater. Whitney Houston's track "Queen of the Night" was sorely missing and was replaced by Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" possibly because of rights issues.

Queen of the Night would make a great movie one day if that is a goal for the creative team. The world needs more representation in cinema and would reach a bigger audience.

Until then, ticket holders have this in-person theater production and five live streaming options to enjoy if that is a preference. This Queen of the Night rules until March 13, 2022, with information at VictoryGardens.org